The triumphant swell of the orchestra echoed through the Unitarian Church of Evanston as the Evanston Symphony Orchestra rehearsed on Nov. 19 for its upcoming Holiday Concert at Evanston Township High School.
The annual performance will be held at 3 p.m. on Dec. 15 at the ETHS Auditorium.
The orchestra consists of around 90 volunteer musicians and typically sells out the high school’s 1,400-seat auditorium, ESO Board Member and violist Penelope Sachs said. ESO will be joined by several other local music and dance groups, including the North Shore Choral Society, Chicago Ballet Arts, Evanston Children’s Choir, Evanston Dance Ensemble and Evanston Symphony Holiday Gospel Choir.
Sachs emphasized the collaborative spirit of the concert.
“I want Evanston to come together to celebrate the holiday, and I think we probably do the best job that’s out there,” she said.
This rendition of the concert began in 2004 under the name “An Evanston Symphony Christmas.” It was canceled during the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic but has otherwise been a staple of ESO’s repertoire.
The orchestra is led by Glenview resident Lawrence Eckerling, who became ESO’s music director in 2003.
Eckerling described the concert as a “juggling act” between the different groups. Like Sachs, he stressed the community spirit that is at the heart of the performance.
“My favorite part is not any individual piece,” Eckerling said. “It’s just the collaboration with all of the groups coming together to do one program.”
A central piece of this collaboration is the diversity of groups involved. Around 10 years ago, the Evanston Symphony Holiday Gospel Choir was formed to broaden the style of music showcased in the concert, said Music Director and Pastor Kenneth Cherry.
Cherry describes gospel music as “freedom music” that “colors outside of the line(s)” in the sense that it’s not firmly attached to sheet music.
Cherry explained that inclusion of the gospel choir demonstrates the myriad of ways in which communities celebrate.
“During the holidays, we focus a lot on what’s different between us, but there’s a lot that brings us together, and the holidays is one of those seasons,” Cherry said.
Sachs said she appreciates how accompanying the gospel choir forces the symphony out of its comfort zone.
She added that, in the spirit of the holidays, there will be free tickets at public libraries in the area for those in need.
Every year, the concert closes with “Hallelujah” from Quincy Jones’ “Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration,” performed by all of the choruses involved. Cherry thinks this year’s rendition will be particularly resonant in light of Jones’ recent passing.
“It just helps us appreciate that man,” Cherry said. “Music lives on. Music transcends your life. If you contribute music, it will live long after you’re gone. Quincy Jones’ music will be with us for, I would dare say, centuries to come.”
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